Learn Mentalism & Mind Reading Tricks

Learn Mentalism & Mind Reading Tricks

mentalism

A mentalist appears to have higher mental abilities than others. Some people regard them as psychics, having a sixth or seventh sense that “ordinary” people do not possess. Mentalism tricks have some of the most powerful effects on people because they appear real. That’s why they’re my favorite kind of magic, even better than card magic.

If you know what you’re doing, spectators actually will believe that you have “special powers.”

This guide contains everything you need to become an elite level mentalist. But before we dive into the tutorials and lessons, let’s look at a brief background on the subject and how it differs from regular magic.

Types of Mentalism

The most common categories of mentalism include telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, mind control, and hypnosis. The most popular kind of performance involves mind reading, where the magician will accurately point out exactly what the audience is thinking.

How does it differ from regular magic

The biggest difference between the two types of artists is in the way they portray themselves (and their abilities) to their audience. While a magician might inform the audience that they will “play” with their imaginations and beliefs of reality, a mentalist makes every effort to portray that their mentalism is real with no trickery involved. As a result, most mentalists don’t mix magic into their routines at all, while a magician might incorporate various forms of mind reading and clairvoyance into their illusions.

Here’s an example of a really cool mentalism trick that people are still speculating about how it’s done.

Most of today’s best magicians like David Blaine, Criss Angel, and Dynamo use a combination of mentalism and magic into their acts. David Blaine’s latest TV special, Real or Magic is the perfect example. In the show, he does everything from making a playing card appear from inside an uncut lemon to making people feel things without ever touching them.

The Secrets Revealed

A lot of mentalism is exactly what the name states – they’re mental plays. Unlike something like card magic, it doesn’t involve a whole lot of sleight of hand or special techniques that takes years of practice to master. Usually, it’s simply a know-how and then applying it with your own sense of style to it.

When you learn how these tricks are done, mentalism can seem very bland and boring. A lot of really great tricks that you’ve seen in the past, you will now realize how simple the trick was to do.

Remember: Mentalism is 80% performance. Obviously, your friends and family know you don’t have supernatural powers. But the trick is in getting the audience to think about the possibility of it even for a second.